Mikaela Shiffrin in great position after first run of World Cup GS at Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek — Competing five miles from home, Eagle-Vail’s Mikaela Shiffrin is in second place after the first of two runs in Sunday’s World Cup giant slalom race.

The world’s best female slalom skier, Shiffrin is looking for her first World Cup podium (top three) in GS, and she’s in great position to do that. Her first run time was less than half a second behind the first-run pacesetter, Jessica Lindell-Vikarby of Sweden. Vicktoria Rebensburg of Germany was in third place, 0.91 behind.

It was Shiffrin’s best-ever position in GS after the first run.

“I’ve been working hard on my GS,” Shiffrin said between runs. “It was just getting the jitters out, and it was really fun.”

Shiffrin’s teammate Julia Mancuso, a former Olympic gold medalist in GS, is in 28th, 2.14 seconds behind. Mancuso and Shiffrin were the only Americans to qualify for the second run by finishing in the top 30.

The second and final run of GS today begins at 12:45 p.m.

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